Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body. Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan

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1 Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan

2 Virginia Maryland Delaware 2009: MARCO Formed New Jersey New York A Five State Governors Agreement Working to enhance the vitality of the region's ocean ecosystem and economy

3 MARCO s Shared Priorities 1. Protect important ocean habitats 2. Support offshore renewable energy 3. Prepare for impacts of climate change on ocean 4. Promote ocean water quality improvements 5. Support ocean planning

4 2010: MARCO Portal Launched 4 4

5 2010: National Ocean Policy Established by Presidential Executive Order to coordinate and implement regional ocean planning with state, federal, tribal, and Fishery Management Council representatives. 5 5

6 2013: Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body (RPB) Formed 9 Federal Agencies 5 MARCO States + PA 2 Tribes (Shinnecock and Pamunkey) Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Body/index.aspx

7 2016: Ocean Action Plan Enacted Created with significant public input: webinars, listening sessions, RPB meetings with public comment sessions, Dec 7, 2016: Certified by the National Ocean Council as consistent with objectives of Executive Order Work is ongoing for 5-year plan

8 RPB Purpose Main job: Create & carry out a Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan that: Prepares for new and expanding uses in the Mid-Atlantic Leads to more informed decisions about ocean use Increases coordination across agencies and levels of government Engages stakeholders to share and vet ocean data and achieve a vision

9 OAP Goal 1: Healthy Ocean Ecosystem Actions 1. Identify & assess Ecologically Rich Areas (ERAs) 2. Map shifts in species due to climate change 3. Develop a Mid-A ocean acidification monitoring network 4. Develop a regionally appropriate marine debris strategy 5. Develop indicators of ocean health 6. Incorporate traditional knowledge of ocean health in ocean planning

10 OAP Goal 2: Sustainable Human National Security Use Actions Ocean Energy Fishing Maritime Commerce and Navigation

11 OAP Goal 2: Sustainable Human Tribal interests & uses Use Actions Non-consumptive recreation Offshore sand management Critical undersea infrastructure

12 Additional OAP Actions Identify and prioritize research needs Implement best practices for coordination and use of portal data Develop performance evaluation plan Develop and implement long-term funding & operation of portal

13 Next Steps Jan 2018 Ongoing In-person meeting in Philadelphia Working groups, steering committees, and individual agencies carry out action items. The Mid-A OPA designates USCG and MARAD as the Federal Co-Leads for Maritime Commerce and Navigation and specifies 4 actions for implementation.

14 OAP Maritime Commerce and Navigation Implementation Actions 1. Monitor marine commerce trends and traffic patterns to identify and address emerging commerce and navigation needs. 2. Maintain reliable ocean use data sets relevant to navigation. 3. Catalogue intersections between entities whose authorities influence marine commerce and navigation and identify opportunities for improved coordination. 4. Identify impacts to navigation and port infrastructure stemming from the Panama Canal expansion.

15 OAP Maritime Commerce and Navigation Current Initiatives and Challenges 1. Establish Mid-A Regional Maritime Commerce and Navigation Safety Group with semi-annual/virtual meetings (NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA) 2. Champion implementation of ACPARS guidelines. 3. Champion continued development and distribution of AIS data to the public. 4. Challenge: current resources (marinecadastre.gov and MARCO Portal) rely on 2013 AIS data. AIS data affects 3 out of 4 OAP actions, and data readily available is not indicative of current vessel traffic patterns.

16 Example MARCO Data Portal Layers Navigation Safety BOEM Wind Planning Areas National Security BOEM Active renewable energy lease areas Warning Area